Israeli occupation checkpoints and the abduction of Palestinians

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Thursday June 14, 2007 11:27 by Ali Samoudi - IMEMC News nisreen at imemc dot org Army kidnaps youths from Jenin, their families worried about their fate

The specific procedures that the Israeli occupaiton army exercises on its checkpoints are reasonably unknown. Abductions of Palestinians regularly occur at Israeli occupation checkpoints. Some of those abducted are not on the so-called "wanted Palestinian" list. These abductions cause terror for all Palestinians but especially for the youth who want to pass through the Israeli checkpoints daily.

A family from Jenin is an example of this terrible situation, as its son, Yahiya Abdullah, 20, was abducted from an Israeli military checkpoint on Tuesday while he was trying to pass to visit his sick mother.

His sister says that he is the breadwinner of the family since their father is old and very sick. She said that the army kidnapped him even though he is not on a wanted list, and despite the fact that he passes through the Israeli checkpoints regularly.

The same case occurred with another family from Jenin last Saturday. Sayef Al Deen Al Sa'di was abducted on an Israeli military checkpoint. His fate is still unknown.

His family reported that the army stopped him on a checkpoint between Ramallah and Jenin, searched him, detained him for several hours, refused to release him, and then they took him to unknown destination.

The aim of the abduction is still unknown. The family of Sayef Al Deen appealed for Human rights organizations to contest their son's abduction and inquire as to his whereabouts, but Israel simply won't reveal any information about the abduction. His family also appealed for the Red Cross to seek out information about their son but all these efforts were useless. The army has refused to supply any information about Sayef Al Deen's whereabouts. His family is worried about his fate and has appealed for these organizations to take more serious actions to release their son.

Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli occupation army has kidnapped a total of 80 Palestinians on the military checkpoints during the period of May to the beginning of June 2007. Most of those abducted were students, underage Palestinians and recently released prisoners. The same source mentioned that the Israeli occupation checkpoints have become like Israeli army traps for young Palestinians.

Translated by: Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News Room

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